Verisimilitude
by decadentia-immortal
Summary: AU 6th year. Forced to flee to a new school after being rescued, Harry's entire life is changing. But, is it for the better? Or worst? REWRITTEN as Verisimilitude II.
1. échappent

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not claim any monetary funds or otherwise on the creation of this story. The only things I own are the plot and the loveable original characters coming up in the story. So please, don't sue~!

A/n: So, I finally begin this little pet project amidst my novel. I thought now was a good a time as any to start. I hope people will enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Unbeta'd formally, but it has been looked over, so don't worry about atrocious mistakes. ^-^ Without further ado, I present to you, the tale~

* * *

The night cloaked him better than any disguise he could've made in his weakened state. He had to choke back at laugh at his condition, thinking on how just a day earlier, he'd been dining in comfort, surround by what he'd deemed happiness. However, he was disillusioned, no longer unaware of the circumstances surrounding his life, and he was furious. Furious that he'd allowed this to happen, that he hadn't realized what was going on.

Apparently, it took a powerful legilimensy that backfired, an unexpected stunner, six _Sectumsempra_s, a bone-breaking hex, and a narrowly avoided obliviation to wake Harry Potter to the exact dictations upon which his life was based. If it hadn't been for Severus Snape -the most unlikely ally he'd found- Harry had no doubts to the fact that he would either still be in the dungeons far below Hogwarts being tortured, or back to being mindless and content in the lies that had weaved a web of false contentment around him.

As it was, the greasy haired man had snuck down into the dank cell and freed him with a bit of acidic potion, onyx eyes carefully blank and emotionless. He hadn't been given much time to react as the other grabbed his arm and fled from the scene, pulling him behind him. They'd made it all the way to the school grounds before they were caught.

Curses and hexes were thrown and narrowly dodge, though a few had gotten to Harry. One of which was _sectumsempra _and the other, the bone-breaking hex.

Snape had taken the brunt of the attack, but was still pulling Harry across the grounds. His mind was a mess as he watched Snape expertly take down several teachers. He was almost overpowering them. But, soon enough, he felt the imminent pressure of the one who had done this to him - Albus Dumbledore.

Cursing fit to make a pirate blush like a schoolgirl, Snape hurriedly shoved a pouch in his hand, and a dirty, rugged looking owl feather in the other. He stared at the owl feather.

"Professor, what--"

He was cut off by the sudden jerk behind his navel, and the last thing he saw was an enraged Dumbledore flying out of the castle doors, screaming a hex aimed at the disappearing two. The purple light reached them and grazed Snape in the back, but it was already too late; they'd managed to get away.

The moment the earth stopped tilting at wild angles, Harry looked around, wand somehow at the ready, though he'd been sure he hadn't had it whilst he was imprisoned. Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to ask unnecessary questions. His first glance revealed a small, woodland home looking like an exact replica of something out of a fairytale book.

His second glance showed an unconscious Snape laying at his feet. With a muffled curse, Harry dropped down beside his Potions Professor, checking for a pulse. There was one, and it was strong and steady. Not sure what to do, Harry simply placed his arm underneath the other man, and picked him up awkwardly, trying to be careful whilst not giving the man the chance to wake up and find himself embarrassed at his position.

Carrying the Potions Master into the cottage, one he assumed was safe, since he'd been brought there, though this _was_ Snape he was dealing with, Harry set the other man down on a soft-looking, brown suede couch. The house was as interesting on the interesting on the inside, as it was enchanted looking on the outside.

He grinned. Whilst waiting for his Professor to wake up and explain the situation to him, Harry got up to explore the house, forgetting, for the moment, the pouch Snape had given to him before they'd port keyed to this strange location.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The front of the house was a pale cream and pine and burgundy colour, elegantly done up to look that a bigger version of a cottage. The windows all had burgundy shutters framed with the carvings of unicorns, centaurs, faun, and fae -mostly of the nymph and dyrad variety- which were moving in never-ending intricate paths around the wooden structure. An elaborately carved chimney sat on one side of the faux-thatched roof, a phoenix wrapped around the funnel, wings almost immaculately chiselled into detailed flames. The wings themselves would occasionally detach and flap, to blow away the smoke, but that was only when a fire was going.

The front garden, where Harry had landed with Snape, was filled with strawberry bushes, a small grape vineyard, about five by five long paces, and other various fruits, somehow all in bloom. Also, there were several types of fruit looking things that Harry was sure he'd never seen before.

He'd decided to explore from the outside in, though he'd quickly found that the backyard wouldn't let him go round. Perhaps he could only get there through the back door.

Also in the small fruit farm, Harry could recognize a few magical and non-magical plants used in the most common of potions growing. He even saw a vibrant patch of mint, though it was clearly not normal, seeing as there were also some blue-lavender fruits that looked like a miniature version of a strawberry growing from them as well. He quickly learnt that if he got too close to the odd looking plant, the stems grew vines with fangs that hissed briefly and darted in to bite him with a snake-like agility that took all his seeker reflexes to avoid.

Harry decided it was time to go inside after that.

Inside the house was much more modern in regards to the decoration. In fact, to Harry's great surprise, the interior actually appeared to be more muggle than anything, looking like something straight out of one of those Home Décor Magazines his Aunt frequently purchased just to place on the coffee table in the living room so she'd look normal and homely to anybody who bothered to visit.

The hallways were adorned with portraits of beautiful men and woman who were most definitely not human. They giggled at him as he walked past, the cherry oak floors and deep cream walls providing a cozy atmosphere as he made his way across the foyer and into the living room. Inside, was of course, the brown suede couch Snape was lying on. This was against the middle wall of the room. Two other couches faced inwards, opposite each other on either side of the couch, in the same soft suede, and two matching suede armchairs filled in the corners where all three couches met, though this time, they were cream suede.

Throw pillows of green and gold silk and velvet covered the chairs, and in the corner, semi-closed off in a sort of meeting area, was a conference table, surrounded by eight chintz seats. The room has spades-shaped windows with soft lacy green curtains, fluttering lightly in a breeze Harry was sure was magically created. The chintz chairs were a pale mint green, which each had two tiny cushions seating against each puffy arm, a soft silver and moonlight white in colour.

Beyond the dining room, Harry could see the kitchen. Inside, it was bright and airy, pine and pastel yellow along with some cream made up the colour scheme. Everything inside looked shiny and brand new, and the appliances were a mixture of muggle and magical ones.

A quick glance in the fridge and cupboards showed that they were stock full enough for a full out year long siege, probably longer, in he'd looked into the pantry. He'd only known there was one because of the cream coloured door that said 'Pantry' in pretty, cursive script across it. Harry didn't look too closely, but he also had a feeling that the writing on the door wasn't really English. He had no idea how he knew that, but, his instinct did, and if there was one thing Harry knew he could rely on, it was his instinct.

Deciding to leave the mysterious writing and the pantry door alone, he swept past the dining room area, discovering it to be the same as the meeting area, only with a dining table and suitable chairs instead of the comfortable squishy chairs and business like desk.

He soon realized that the house he'd entered was a lot bigger on the inside than it appeared to be, because the next room he hit was a full blown library, and it was huge. At least four stories high (and he had only seen a two story house from the outside), each floor was spacious yet packed with books, each bookshelf filled to the brim with books.

Harry could only gape at the sheer size of it all, unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing. Walking in, he navigated his way around, looking at section titles to see what kind of books he would find. A moment later, a tray with a thin book resembling a menu floated over to him, hovering in front of torso.

He glanced down and was surprised to discover the book was actually a sort of map to the library.

It gave him a lot of options. For starters, he could find out what all the categories of books stored in the library was and where they were. Then, he could find all the subcategories in each category and where. On top of that, he could also write in what he wanted to look for (or, if he was more advanced, send a telepathic message) and the book would show him exactly what books contained what he was looking for, and where they were.

He quickly found that nearly everything was stored at the library. From replicated ancient scrolls in hieroglyphs that he couldn't read -and some that were translated for his viewing pleasure- to muggle mushy romance stories.

Time flew by as he immersed himself in his fascination, reading books on magical theory, wandless magic, and specified-categorized magic.

He didn't even feel Snape's presence until the older man sat down across from him, eyebrow raised in an amused manner he'd never had the privilege to see before.

"I see you found the library to your liking," Snape said, tone one of wry amusement.

Harry jumped with a start, eyes going wide at the sudden appearance of his Potions Professor.

"FUCK!"

The expletive was coupled with a loud echoing bang that reverberated around the library as he fell from his chair. Harry was incensed when he heard a chuckle from above him, and he glowered upwards, emerald green eyes glowing brightly with agitation.

"Language, Mr. Potter," Snape said smoothly, unruffled as ever by Harry's outburst. Harry grumbled picking himself up and eying his professor with distaste. He was surprised to note that his teacher didn't seem so sour as was usually when in class. It threw him off a bit, enough to apologize, to which Snape replied with an inclination of his head.

Both of them sat a little bit stiffly, surveying each other. Harry sighed, wanting to get things over and done with, and across from him, he heard Snape echo his sigh.

"So… care to explain just what has been going on, Professor Snape?" he asked, leaning backwards in his chair. Snape arranged his robes carefully, wincing a little bit and reminding Harry that he'd been injured.

"Severus."

"Excuse me?"

He blinked, in slight confusion.

"Call me Severus. I'm hardly your Professor anymore after smuggling you out of the very institute I teach at," Sna-- _Severus_ replied, eyebrows furrowing into a frown. Harry didn't think his jaw could possibly get any wider. Severus Snape had just invited him to call him by his first name. He blinked, unsure of what to say, and so merely nodded, head tilted in confusion.

"Alright, then call me Harry instead. Mr. Potter is just way too informal," he said by way of response. Sn--- Severus actually smirked.

"I don't think I'll be able to call you that for much longer, Harry, as we'll be looking to change your name, and your identity really, after this… ordeal…"

Correction: His jaw could, indeed, get wider.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

**Deca **02/28/10

End Notes: Alright, so there is chapter one of this most exciting tale. I hope you all enjoyed. I do have big plans for this story, so I'm getting really bouncy when I start thinking ahead. I hope everyone will find the characters as loveable as I do.

R&R ^-^


	2. découverte

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not claim any monetary funds or otherwise on the creation of this story. The only things I own are the plot and the loveable original characters coming up in the story. So please, don't sue~!

A/n: Alright. First of all, I'd like to say a big, fat thank you to all my reviewers. All of you were very helpful and encouraging. Second, I noticed that a lot of you were confused about Harry and Severus' apparent miraculous recovery. I hope this chapter will help clear things up for everyone. So please, continue to support me.

A/n 2: Also, it appears I really am in need of a beta. So, if anybody is willing, or if anybody has any recommendations, then please inform me. It would be much appreciate. *gets on with the story*

* * *

_"I don't think I'll be able to call you that for much longer, Harry, as we'll be looking to change your name, and your identity really, after this… ordeal…"_

_Correction: His jaw could, indeed, get wider._

_"WHAT?!"_

Snape sneered, and Harry was suddenly extremely glad for the familiarity of the action, grounding himself by clinging to the last dregs of what he was quickly realizing to be his fading normality. If he hadn't been too busy trying not to hyperventilate, he would've laughed. As it was, the noise he emitted was more of a cross between a dying piglet and a deranged hyena, causing Snape to look at him in alarm and concern.

Shaking his head, Harry held up his hands. "I'm fine. Just fine."

And really, he was. Not a scratch on him in fact. Just this new, crazy realit- Wait… not a scratch. He blinked as he began to search himself thoroughly. And indeed, it was true. He could feel no residual pain or stiffness from wounds he was almost certain he could've died from. Deciding to latch onto that instead of focusing on Snape's comment, Harry leaned forward and gestured at the both of them.

"Um, S-Severus," he murmured tentatively, almost biting his tongue at the usage of the other man's first name. Snape's eyebrow raised in amusement, though he said nothing, merely inclining his head as a sign that he should continue. Which he did. "How come the both of us aren't bleeding to death on the plush carpet of this room?"

The older man actually deigned to smirk at his question, reclining in his chair. "Good question, Harry. Thankfully, you appear not to be as stupid as you look."

Harry's glare spoke volumes, eliciting a chuckle from him. "Alright, alright. I'll explain everything. But-"

Harry groaned and cut him off. "I hate buts." Snape silenced him with a glare, face once again in a very familiar glare. Harry took the hint and settled, frowning but quiet for the moment.

"But, you are going to have to explain to me fully just how you got yourself into such a dangerous position," he said softly, fingers tapping against the table rhythmically. "You were supposed to have been safe at home tonight, for your sixteenth, so that I could smuggle you away. How did you end up at Hogwarts?"

For a moment, neither of them spoke, Harry lost in thought, Snape waiting patiently for a response. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, eyes hooded and darkened by the knowledge of the betrayal.

"I was gardening for Aunt Petunia, as per usual. I hadn't eaten yet, since Dudley had caused me to get in trouble with Uncle Vernon for breaking the flower pots arrangements outside with a football, even though it was obvious that it was him."

-x-x-x-

"_Boy! Get in here!" Vernon boomed out into the yard, face a sickly puce color in his rage. Harry, meek in his hunger and fatigue wearily traipsed inside, preparing himself for whatever punishment he was in for next._

_His uncle, nearly speechless in his anger, merely pointed at his previous bedroom under the stairs, hissing, "Explain. Now."_

_But he could not. The door was wobbling and shaking by itself, purple smoke and the scent of heady cedar wood permeating the air, causing a misty haze to settle around the first floor. Strange laughing noises echoed eerily about, and, as he stepped closer, Harry could feel a strong compulsion to open the door._

"_I… I don't know what this is, Uncle Vernon," he whispered, cheeks pale as he fought against the urge to get closer. "Perhaps my potion ingredients reacted because they've been locked in their all summer."_

_Vernon responded by backhanding him across the face, splitting his bottom lip._

"_Now look here boy, I will not have you blaming this paranormal activities on me doing the right thing by locking up your freakish, abnormal 'school' supplies," he growled, grabbing him by the hair. Harry screamed as he was slammed against the door, the urge becoming more than he could bear, and the wood of the door feeling like it was burning his skin._

_He didn't even hear Vernon's yell of alarm as he opened his eyes, revealing them to have filled in their killing curse green completely, eradicating both the cornea and the pupil. He didn't even notice when his hair was released. All he could focus on was the door, and how much he wanted to open it._

_Well, at least until he'd heard Dumbledore's voice and gotten hit with an Obliviate._

_When he'd come to, he'd been in a strange cell, walls lined with a strange, sickly yellow glowing stone, body aching as if he'd just undergone the most rigorous training of his life. His head had felt stuffy and he had a headache the size of Mt. Everest._

_Not really knowing what was going on, he'd been forced to wait until someone arrived, trying desperately to remember whether he was safe, or whether he'd been captured by Voldemort. To his surprise, when someone had shown up, it had been Professor Dumbledore, flanked by a serious looking McGonagall and another Greek looking man he'd never seen before in his life._

_Dumbledore had smiled down at him good naturedly, eyes twinkling as merrily as ever._

"_How are you feeling, my boy?"_

_Unsure of how to respond, Harry had merely shrugged, trying to figure out why his every sense was telling him to get as far away from the other man as possible. Unfortunately, nothing was immediately forthcoming. _

_Dumbledore moved and stood in front of the door to his cell, lightly leaning against the metallic bars._

"_Tell me, Harry, what can you remember from earlier today?" he asked kindly, voice soothing, yet only managing to stir Harry's instincts into a further frenzy._

"_To be honest, Professor, not much," he answered, running his hands haphazardly through his hair. He noted quietly how all three of the adults in the room seemed to shift and relax at that, and narrowed his eyes as McGonagall handed Dumbledore what was obviously the key to his cell, proving that, indeed, they were the ones who had locked him in there._

_Suddenly, as Dumbledore moved to put the key into the lock, Harry felt himself start to get dizzy. The unsettled feelings continued to grow and grow, pulsing beneath his skin, prickling around his eyes, until, with a burst of agony so intense, he was sure he tore his throat screaming, all the memories from earlier that day burst free and flooded his mind._

_Dimly, he could hear alarmed shouting and a spell. Legilimens. A foreign presence invaded his mind, trying to suppress the flood of his thoughts. But they were too strong, too agile, to fluid, and they slipped between the cracks of the shoddy, golden barrier, until finally, the pain was gone, and he was left staring up into cold, blue eyes._

_Shackles cut into the skin around his neck, ankles, and wrists, pulling him taut against the wall, and Harry peered terrified up at the man whom he had sincerely looked up to, wincing at the sheer force of hatred and disgust he could see in those familiar eyes._

"_Professor, why?" he croaked out, spitting out a blob of red tinged spit, confirming that he had indeed torn his throat. Dumbledore's eyes, if possible, got even colder._

"_Because of what you are, Harry," he said coldly, narrowing his eyes. "I had hoped that the Potter gene had been overridden by the Evans gene in you, since she was muggleborn, but, once again, you've managed to defy my expectations."_

_Dumbledore stepped back from Harry, leaving the cell against. "I'm afraid it would have been better for you to have forgotten. But, like a true anomaly, this option has been proven impossible. So, I'll have to break you to my will."_

_For a moment, the man seemed to resemble his old mentor, before a steeled look crossed his features, and the first of five Sectumsempras hit. And he screamed, long, loud, and way past the point any human should scream, especially once his open wounds hit the strange rock, sizzling and proving itself acidic, making his bones flood an icy cold, heaving as lead and as painful as a thousand hot coals pressed to his bare skin._

_After each, Dumbledore would wait about half an hour for him to writhe in agony before healing the wound crudely with an off-key melody, a parody of the true healing spell for his lashes. He would then get a temporary reprieve before the process started again, until he felt as if he was going mad._

_He was grateful when Dumbledore hit him with a stunner, welcoming the darkness like a long lost friend._

_The next time he'd awoken, it had been to Snape melting his bonds and freeing him, dragging him and cursing his sorry ass for the state he'd gotten himself in._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"And, of course, you know the rest from there," he concluded, resting his head on the back of the chair, looking up at the ceiling.

Snape nodded, eyes sympathetic, but unable to voice the emotion. Instead, he cleared his throat.

"I see. Do you have any idea _why_ it happened?" he questioned, watching the messy haired boy. Harry tugged at a knot in his hair, shaking his head in frustration.

"No. But I bet you it has to do with the shaking cupboard door," he muttered, fixing Snape with a glare. "But, that's not even the point. The real point is this. Why did you help me? Aren't you supposed to be Dumbledore's right hand man?"

Snape shot him an unreadable look, which had him shifting in his chair uncomfortably. "I suppose I was… until I found out Albus' true intentions."

The statement was whispered so lowly, Harry almost thought he'd imagined it. But the sombre look on the older man's face was more than enough proof he hadn't.

"Once again, I was tricked into following a self-absorbed, power hungry madman. The only difference between Voldemort and Dumbledore is that Dumbledore is a lot stealthier than Voldemort. Who better to destroy the army of Light, than the army of Light themselves."

Snape snorted, face twisted up in disgust. "We all fell for it. Albus Dumbledore, leader to the Light, Chief Wizengamot, Order of Merlin First Class, Headmaster to Hogwarts, Grandfather to all things good; he was a dream come true."

Harry could feel the bitterness of the words and shifted uncomfortably, somehow knowing that the words being spoken were true. "But, it was just a farce. He has books, dark books, for rituals on how to contact the Dark Realm. He uses the students as sacrifices, practices true Black Magic."

The words sent a chill down his spine. _Black Magic?_

"Black magic, Prof--- Severus?" Harry questioned, almost biting his tongue. Snape nodded, onyx eyes appearing dazed and unfocused.

"Black magic. More deadly, dangerous, and evil than the Dark Arts," he murmured. "Black magic literally involves sacrifices and feeds off of evil energy. Whereas some Dark Arts can be used for Light magic purposes, Black magic cannot. One could even say that the magic itself is tainted, poisoned. It eats away at natural magic until the energy tunnels have eroded. Then it starts to feed on the life source and then, finally, the soul. At least, until you redirect it's attention." Harry's look of horror continued to grow.

"Which is why a sacrifice is always required. Once the magic sets, the negative effects can be transferred to the sacrifice, until they waste away and die."

Silence descended, thick and cloying. All Harry could do was shudder. Dumbledore was involved with something like that? Surely not! But after all that had happened to him, he could believe it.

"Al-alright. So, even if this were true, what does this have to do with me?" Harry bit out, curling his knees up to his chest and hugging them in place. Snape nodded, looking as if he'd consumed a very bitter piece of lime.

"Well, you see, Harry, you've come into an inheritance you weren't supposed to get before your sixteenth," he answered, watching Harry carefully. The boy in question scowled briefly, tilting his head.

"But I am sixteen," he replied.

Snape shook his head.

"You turned sixteen early this morning, but your powers manifested a day early. Or rather, the Second Realm could sense you before your birthday hit, which is very worrisome."

Harry shook his head, trying to understand.

"That still doesn't explain why," he sighed, mussing his hair even further.

With a sigh, Snape rubbed his eyes. "Dumbledore doesn't want your powers to manifest. You are now one of the biggest threats to him, even more so now that I've gotten you away. He's going to be trying everything to get you back, so you never gain your full capabilities, never learn of what you are."

There was an awkward pause. "Which is? Oh god, don't tell me I'm not even human anymore."

Surprisingly, this brought a laugh from Snape. "No, no. You are still human, at least… partly."

The constant beating around the bush was starting to piss him off.

"Partly? Spit it out, damn it!"

Snape sneered. "You, imbecilic nitwit, are a nephilim. Half angel, half human."

Harry stared at him as if he'd lost his damn mind. "You're shitting me…"

The older man chuckled. "No, no, Harry. I assure you, I would never joke about something like this."

He was quite alarmed when Harry didn't say anything, seemingly lost inside his thoughts. Before he could cast a stealthy _legilimensy _however_ , _the boy seemed to come back to his senses.

"What were you saying about a name change, Severus," he asked weakly, still quite unable to wrap his mind about the strange new concept of not being fully human.

Snape nodded his approval at the way Harry was handling things. He'd half been expecting to be dodging things flying across the room. He wasn't clueless, he'd seen the books on the shelves rattling.

"What name would you like to be addressed by from now on," he replied smoothly, conjuring up a notepad and a strange looking golden quill wandlessly.

Harry started but then shook his head, and then looked down at the table, biting at his lower lip.

"Well, I've always admired the Greek goddess Demeter," he whispered softly and Snape tilted his head in question. "So, how about… Dmitri?"

"Sounds fine to me. But what about a last name?"

Harry thought long and hard, forcing himself to see the logical side to his actions, pushing away his feelings on everything he had learned that night, focusing, for once, on what needed to be done.

"Lily. Li. Dmitri Li," he answered finally, tapping his hands on the table.

Snape smiled and nodded. "I like it."

And that, as they say, was that.

* * *

_Deca, 03/10/10_

End Notes: Alright, so, I hope that answered some of your questions from the last chapter. The are a couple of answers I've still left in the dark that will be revealed as the story goes on, but I hope you guys keep reading. Tell me what you think. *smiles* This chapter is, as always, unbeta'd, but I hope you didn't mind any of my mistakes too much. I think I write pretty well for a non-native speaker. Again though, if you wouldn't mind beta-ing, I would not be apposed to the offer at all. That's about it, but for one thing. I will update every one to two weeks. Usually on a Sunday or Wednesday. Thank you in advance for your patience. Reviews are appreciated.


	3. connaissance

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not claim any monetary funds or otherwise on the creation of this story. The only things I own are the plot and the loveable original characters coming up in the story. So please, don't sue~!

A/n: First of, thank you for your lovely reviews~! I only wish I could've gotten this to you guys faster.

Second of…

Umm… well, I did have a beta, but then we never managed to get in contact, so, once again, I give you an unbeta-ed chapter. (=__=) I'm terribly sorry, and Sabina8, if you see this, 's messaging system wouldn't display the screen name you were trying to give me so I couldn't contact you. If you're still interested, just toss me a PM. Now, without further delay, chapter 3~

* * *

Chapter 3: Connaissance

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 

"_Lily. Li. Dmitri Li," he answered finally, tapping his hands on the table._

_Snape smiled and nodded. "I like it."_

_And that, as they say, was that.  
_

Harry, now Dmitri, stared at the golden quill as Snape wrote down his new name in fanciful, curlicue letters. The moment the last dot on the 'i' was placed, the quill disappeared and the page of the notebook tore itself out, folding itself neatly before vanishing as well.

"What was that all about?" he inquired softly, following the wisps of smoke both vanished items had left behind. Snape watched him curiously.

"That was me formally putting your name into the registers of the Second Realm," came the equally soft response, and Ha- Dmitri took a moment to ponder upon it.

"What is this Second Realm you keep speaking of, anyways?"

The was a long pause before both men sighed, Dmitri more out of boredom, and Snape out of weariness. "That is a very broad topic, actually. To put it simply, there are four realms that lay side by side, five if you count the Elven one, which most people don't, for fear of their lives: The Earthen Realm, the Light Realm, the Dark Realm, and the Second Realm.

"Each of these realms hold different types of beings, the Earthen Realm holding the most diversity of all, which is currently something from each realm. The Dark Realm holds a variety of demons and beings that feed off of negative energy. The Light Realm is, essentially, where Angels, Pegasi, and other light based creatures such as nymphs and dryads come from. And, the Second Realm is where all the hybrids stay. Humans aren't exactly the most accommodating, and neither are the other realms when one thinks about it, so another realm was created to protect the hybrids. Which is where you fall. You're bloodline, the Potter-line, descends from the Light Realm. Your father's father was an ambassador between the Human Realm and the Light Realm.

"Your father, James Potter, was a full blooded Seraphim, who fell in love with your mother, Lily Evans. When they consummated their relationship, you were born, but nobody knew whether your mother's muggle genes would affect you as a hybrid."

"Which they didn't," Dmitri stated, an unreadable look in his eyes. Snape sighed again, absently fiddling with the sleeve of his robe.

"No, they didn't."

Dmitri nodded absently, drumming his fingers on the table. "So, what about this place then? Which realm is this in?"

At this, Snape smirked. "None, actually."

Dmitri sputtered. "What? None? How?""Quite easily, actually. In between each realm, there is a non-dimensional portal, a pocket so to speak, which people call _Oiad Niiso_, which means The Way in Enochian, an ancient Angelic language. This place is inside one of these pockets. It is a _Nia-Cod Oali_, a safe house."

"So, this place technically exists outside of all the other realms?" he murmured, gazing around in wonder. Snape nodded once, pleased Dmitri had caught on so quick.

"Exactly. Which is why our wounds here have not given us any trouble. In here, the same rules don't apply and things like pain work differently. That is not to say you can't get harmed here. Just that, whatever happens here, will not be present when you leave, and whatever you had before you came here, will not be present whilst you remain. However, after you leave…"

"Everything returns to the way it was?"

"Precisely."

"What about things like knowledge, or effects from potions and such?" Dmitri asked after a bit of contemplation. Snape paused, surprised at the usefulness of the question, having been expecting the boy to be more than a little unintelligent. Dmitri spotted the surprise and scowled, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. "What? I can ask meaningful questions too, you know."

At that, Snape snorted. "I don't doubt you could," he answered dryly before shaking his head. "Your uselessness aside-" Dmitri's scowl deepened, "things like knowledge will be retained, and depending on the potion, depends if it will work. If you took healing potions now, they would not heal the injuries you received outside of the realm, since they technically do not exist here, but potions to enhance the mind and make the body efficient will carry out, if you take them either whilst connected to another realm, or within real time."

"Ah, that makes sense," Dmitri replied, an intent look on his face. Snape studied him silently, unused to seeing the boy so focused. "Hang on, you said real time, right? So, does this mean this place is also set out of time?"

A nod was the only response he got, and he stood up, summoning the library index once more. All the library books that he'd been reading before levitated up and back into their places and he watched them absentmindedly. "Can this time flow be controlled, or will I suddenly appear fifty years into the future?"

Snape shook his head. "You misunderstand. There is _no_ time flow here at all. This place doesn't exist in any dimension, and therefore shouldn't exist at all. But it does, and nothing works logically here. Or maybe everything does, and we're the illogical ones…"

At this point, Dmitri's eyes began to get unfocused and Snape chuckled. "But, it is pointless to think of such things now. Just accept things for what they are here and try not to get lost. This place appears to simultaneously be made entirely out of matter and non-matter, magic and non-magic, and logic and nonsense."

Dmitri grinned. "So, pretty much 'The Wonderland of the Wizarding World'?"

He was proud when Snape let loose an amused bark of laughter. "Indeed, Mr. Li, indeed."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 

A few hours later found Dmitri still in the library, pouring over books on Nephilim, Seraphim, and the other realms. His stomach grumbled, protesting loudly its mistreatment and he sighed. Obviously, it was time for some grub.

He left the room with a book entitled "The Newcomer's Guide to Species and their Habits", and left for the direction he remembered the kitchen being in…

… which is why he was under stably confused when he found himself on the third floor of the house when he hadn't climbed any stairs whatsoever.

The hallway he was standing in was covered entirely by vines, with strange and vibrant orange-red lily-looking flowers blooming intermittently along it, each emitting a golden light that was the only thing illuminating his way. When he turned around to go back, he found there was no corner, and that there was only the same hallway, leading so far back, he was entirely sure it wouldn't have fit along the length of the Hogwarts castle.

"What was that Sn- Severus said about not getting lost again?" he muttered to himself, hesitantly continuing his journey.

As he walked, the hallway seemed to fill with sounds he had heard from behind the door at the Dursley's, high-pitched laughter, and ethereal voices, teasingly brushing against his senses and filling him with a deep sense of urgency.

"_Noasmi ol ollog… ol pashs… ol hoath… noasmi ol ollog…"[1]_

He gasped, dropping his book, and clutched at his head as the voice thundered around it, strangely translating itself in his mind, falling to his knees right beside an ivory door. There was a large chain dangling on either side of the frame, as if it had been broken, but Dmitri didn't notice that until the door had swung open.

Killing-curse green eyes widened in shock and he yelled as he was confronted by an onyx shadowy mass that stank of evil and ill-will. He scrambled back and hit a wall, prompting the vines to start writhing angrily and constrain him to the wall.

He struggled futilely, feeling sick as the black mass came towards him, creeping slowly over his shoes and caressing his legs in a cold embrace. He shuddered, nightmare after nightmare re-surfacing, some not even his at all. He saw his mother fall, the scream, the flash of green, a cold laugh, pain, Voldemort on Quirrell's head, Aragog… memory after memory.

His eyes had turned all green again, with flecks of silver that swirled in his agitation, and the mass crept even further up his body.

// _Pathetic human… ssssss… asssss if yousss could be the onessss from the prophecy….//_

Dmitri gasped at the words that appeared to be coming from inside his head, and the demon laughed cruelly.

//_ I sssshall have funsss killing yousss… maybe even makesss yousss my petsss… yessss…. Wertlossss likessss thissss plansss… maybe I even ussse your pretty little face… yesss…. //_

It caressed his face slowly, pinning him further in place, and Dmitri looked up fearfully. The demon, Wertlos, grinned, mouth an even blacker hole, lined by grotesquely disfigured rotting teeth. A wave of rancid breath washed over him, making his choke and gag, eyes watering as the gnarled hand burned a trail across his skin.

"L-let me go!" he cried, trying to wrench himself free to no avail.

Wertlos cackled gleefully. // _No… with yousss, I will… becomessss… a full-fledged sssshadow demons… andsss thosssse foolsss will laughsss at me no moresss… //_

Before it could say much more, there was a flash of light, and Dmitri saw Snape appear, hair flapping around his back wildly in the wind from his own appearance. Briefly, he wondered when Snape's hair had gotten so long, but the thought soon vanished as the demon wrenched itself off of him, launching its body at Snape.

The ex-professor side-stepped the attack with a practiced ease and then held up his hand, eyes narrowing.

"_Thosi… Shes!"_

Tendrils of fire flew from Snape's outstretched palm and wrapped around Wertlos, whose scream was so awful Dmitri had to clap his hands over his ears, and burned hotly, causing the vines still wrapped around him to retreat further up the wall.

The demon spat out globs of black fire that Snape blocked with another word and a swipe of his palm, until finally, the retaliation stopped. Picking the creature up with yet another word to levitate it, the potions master smirked.

"Speak now your purpose, demon, or be silenced forever."

// _Neversss… you disssgusssting lower breed… dissssgrace to our kindssss… taintedsss bloodsss… //_

Snape's mouth twisted up into a disgusted sneer. "The only disgrace here is you, Wertlos."

A globe formed around the blob at a sharp gesture from Snape who sneered at the creature.

"_O , shai porali os vali, jhaeli sor vaer! Balor!_"

Wertlos vanished with an enraged scream, and Snape was left standing within a string of runes that Dmitri somehow knew to be Elven.

For a moment, neither men said anything, until Dmitri shifted, looking down at his legs.

"Didn't I warn you, brat, not to get lost?" the older man snapped, turning flashing red eyes onto him. Dmitri didn't even bother responding, instead gaping upwards.

"I had been wondering why you knew so much about everything… it's because you're not human either, are you. You're a hybrid… but… from the Dark Realm, right?"

Snape seemed to visibly flinch. "No, I am not a half-breed. My father was a half-breed, which makes me a quarter breed. I was not eligible for the Second Realm on the grounds that my inheritance hadn't manifested enough."

The bitterness was evident in his voice, making Dmitri regret asking him the question. "Oh… I didn't realize it mattered."

He sounded so apologetic that Snape rolled his eyes and reached over to smack him lightly upside the head, staring straight ahead.

"It doesn't really, and it shouldn't. Never forget that."

Dmitri smiled inwardly, even as he scowled and rubbed his head. His stomach chose that moment to announce, quite loudly, how hungry it still was, and he looked at Snape sheepishly.

"So, er… which way to the kitchen?" he said slowly, picking up the dropped book.

Snape snorted. "Useless brat."

For once, it didn't carry it's usual bite. 

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 

Finally back in the kitchen, Dmitri decided to make up for his earlier mistake by cooking the food, shushing Snape when the other man tried to stop him grumbling about brats destroying his kitchen.

At that, Dmitri had spun around, eyes shining with mirth.

"Wait, so this fairytale cottage is yours?" he cackled, practically beaming with glee as Severus shot him an irritated glare, just a tinge of red colouring his cheeks.

"No. And you'd be wise to keep your gleeful comments to yourself, Mr. Potter," he snapped waspishly, prompting Harry to start laughing again.

"That's Mr. Li, now, professor."

Snape just responded with a scowl, retiring to the front room with a book he'd pulled out of somewhere. Dmitri smiled slightly and began clanking about the kitchen cheerily, surprised to see everything well stocked and ready to use.

"Severus, I'm going to make Shepard's Pie, alright," he called, and proceeded after an affirmative was given. After a few moments of silence, Dmitri decided to fill it by asking some new questions that had been brought to his attention.

"You were speaking an Elven language just now against Wertlos, weren't you?" he called, grinning a bit as Severus sighed and made his way back into the kitchen to sit.

"Indeed I was," was the only reply he got, and Dmitri sighed as well. Apparently, this was going to turn into a game of Twenty Questions.

"Which one?" he asked. For, as uneducated as he was at Hogwarts, even he knew there were more than one Elven language. "The High Elven one?"

At that, Severus laughed. "Oh no, Dmitri. Nobody but the Elves, the Deities, and the Arch Demons know the High Elven language. No, this is a more common tongue, one that all hybrids and all other realm creatures know. Well, if they are taught. It is called Eberron. It is the tongue that is used to cast spells, rather than Latin, which is a purely human language, though it is rumoured that the Elves themselves had something to do with it."

"Oh, so, there is also a hierarchy throughout the realms too?" he asked, frowning slightly. Snape smiled wryly.

"Yes. Even stricter than the pureblood supremacists you have faced thus far," he answered.

Dmitri looked incredulous. "Even more so than Lucius Bastardius Malfoy?"

The potion's master rolled his eyes. "Language, Mr. Li. And yes, even more than him. Which, in all honesty, is very amusing, considering everyone knows they have Veela blood in them, even though it is less than my own Vampiric blood."

He snorted as the other jumped and almost dumped the mince onto the floor. "You're a _vampire_?" he exclaimed, mouth forming an 'O' in his shock. "B-But you walk in sunlight, and you have a reflection, I'm pretty sure garlic does nothing to you, and… I've never seen you drink blood!"

Snape stood through the tirade looking bored, faintly frowning at the ranting boy.

"Perhaps all those things you've heard are merely urban myths, boy. And, did you make it a habit to watch me? Because I am fairly sure your eyes were more than occupied with drooling at Draco Malfoy most of the time."

He was pleased when Harry jumped again, not at all fazed by the dark glare he was receiving. "I was _not_ drooling at Malfoy, you git. I was making sure he wasn't doing anything to try and get me bloody killed, as per usual, in case you hadn't notice, _professor_."

Snape ignored the deliberate jab, turning back to his book and smirking as Dmitri went back to clattering about, cursing him under his breath. If there was one thing he had truly loved about his job, it was his ability to antagonize as many snivelling, useless creatures people called children as he wanted. He sighed as Dmitri spoke again, seemingly on the idea that conversation was a necessity between them. They were both surprised they had managed civility so long.

"What were the spells you cast?"

Ah, an easy one this time.

"First of, they weren't spells, but incantations that tie directly into the magics of either the realm or one's own core, thus making the use of a focus such as a wand obsolete. Second, the first incantation I used was essentially 'Fire… burn!', in which I directly tapped into the magic of nature to manipulate the element of fire. If I was a fire demon, or a being with an affinity for fire, I would be able to call a stronger flame, and I could use my core more effectively.

"The second incantation I used can be literally translated to 'You, who disgrace our race, leave this realm: Vanish!' was more intent based, which means the magic came from my core to do what I willed it to. It basically works on the same principle as wandless magic, where it taps directly into the magic flow and is channelled by your intent."

The food was almost done at this point, with only the light baking of the pie left to be done, and Dmitri shifted over to the table and sat down after setting the timer.

"Oh, I see. So, instead of focusing on forcing the magic to operate a certain way by limiting it to words, wand gestures, and a medium, instead, you channel it directly by using intent and will combined with the essence of the incantation to make things happen the way you want," he summarized, blinking over at Snape to see if he was correct before continuing.

Snape nodded, once again surprised by the boy's intellect and fast ability to pick up on things.

"Which basically means that, in theory, anything is possible as long as one has the will for it, but it also depends on the skill of the one doing the incanting, and how much power they can control with their intent, and how much magic their channels can hold, right?"

Snape nodded again as he continued to talk, dumbfounded at the boy's keenness before smiling so softly, Dmitri almost had a heart attack. "What? What's with that creepy expression?" he muttered, looking around oddly. Snape shook his head.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how you are more like your mother than I thought," he said, right as the timer for the food went off. Dmitri didn't reply, scrambling off of his chair to get to the food, hiding his expression from Snape. Reflected in the glass of the over, his sappily smiling face stared back out at him and he shook his head, grabbing the grub.

"Thanks, Severus. That means a lot to me, especially now, more than ever," he answered, serving up the food and bringing it to the table. Snape dipped his head in acknowledge.

"By the way, I like Earl Grey, two slices of lemon, one sugar, no milk or cream with my meals," he stated smugly, a hint of a smirk on his lips. "Oh, an a glass of Bloodied Merlot, that you'll find on that top shelf above the sink."

Dmitri scowled in irritation. Really, the man was just too damn infuriating and--- "What? Bloodied Merlot?" he exclaimed, staring in disbelief at Snape.

"Yes, that's exactly what I said, Mr. Li. Glad to hear that your hearing works just fine. Now let's test out the little brain of yours," came the amused reply. Dmitri huffed.

"Insufferable git," he muttered, grabbing the wine and a wine glass and turning on the kettle, before sitting down, his own glass of pumpkin juice already by his plate. He raised an eyebrow at Snape who shrugged a shoulder elegantly, pouring himself a glass of the red liquid and smelling it in delight.

"A toast, Mr. Li," he stated, raising his bloodied wine. Dmitri studied him closely for a few minutes before raising his own glass.

"Certainly, Severus. To freedom and a new start," he said softly, clinking his glass against Snape's.

Snape paused before nodding in agreement and drinking. "To freedom and a new start, indeed."

* * *

_Deca, 05/16/10_

End Notes: Alright, so, as you can see, a whole bunch of questions have been answered this chapter, as well as a whole new slew of other ones. Only 3,500 words this time, but, without a beta, I am forced to make the chapters shorter, so they are easier for me to attempt to proofread. Sorry about this guys. As soon as I get a beta, you can expect chapter lengths to increase to around 8,000 to 12,000 words per post. For now, please bear with this. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and that I am keeping you interested. I am trying to be as original as I possibly can within reason, so, I am winging it within my own plotline. Hehe, as always, review if you like!

[1] "Come to me… my child… my love… come to me…"

Questions for the readers: Should I provide translations for the different languages in the actual text, or at the end? Also, I'm planning for there to be a lot of action in this fic, fight scenes, battles, blood and gore. Is it preferred for longer fight scenes and less dialogue, or shorter focus on the actual battle, and more on dialogue, or do people prefer a more even balance? Leave a response in your reviews, if you review. Until next time~


	4. Important Update Please Read

**Important Update:**

Alright, so I know a lot of you have been waiting for me to update chapter four, and I'm sorry to say I won't be –for this version.

However, I've decided to rewrite the story, as this one was just not up to par with what I wanted to do. I've realized I was getting ahead of myself and none of the characters were being portrayed the way I wanted them to be. So, yeah, chapter one of Verisimilitude II is going up right after I post this. I won't have a set schedule for chapter releases, but I will update my profile regularly with updates on the progress of the chapter.

I have an awesome beta reader now, whom I'm very close to, so the story will make more sense. Hopefully you can all see what I consider to be an improvement between the two versions, and I also hope that you all like the new version as much as I do.

More info on the new version of Veri-II will be posted and available on my profile and in the author's note in the next couple of days or so. Don't worry, the storyline hasn't changed, just the quality and flow.

Anyways, enough of me rambling: I officially declare this version ABANDONED.

I look forward to you all joining me in the new one, and thank you all for your support and all the favorites!

11/29/10,

**DECA**


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